Companies Accused Of Contaminating Long Island Drinking Water

A civil complaint against two businesses is looking to recover the costs of an investigation and cleanup of groundwater contamination at a superfund site in New Cassel and Hicksville, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York announced Monday.

The civil complaint is being filed against IMC Eastern Corporation (IMC) and Island Transportation Corporation (ITC). These companies operated facilities within the New Cassel Industrial Area— IMC at 570 Main St. and ITC at 299 Main St. in Westbury—an approximately 170-acre industrial and commercial area located north of part of the superfund site.

The compliant alleges these businesses contributed to groundwater contamination at the 6.5-square-mile superfund site, which is located in the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay. It includes residential, commercial and industrial areas.

EPA Regional Administrator Peter D. Lopez said "the complaint will help EPA seek reimbursement from the responsible parties for the taxpayer money it spent investigating the site.”

Officials say IMC and ITC used hazardous substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contained tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA). Exposure to these chemicals can cause adverse health effects, such as damage to the nervous system, liver, kidneys, and reproductive system. They may also be harmful to unborn children and are considered possible carcinogens, the complaint says.

The substances released from their facilities migrated south and impacted Long Island’s sole source drinking water aquifer, officials say.

According to the USAO:

• IMC manufactured and sold motors and air movers, and used PCE, TCE, and 1,1,1-TCA in its manufacturing processes from 1953 through March 1992. Soil and sediment sampling conducted in 1993, and groundwater sampling conducted in 1998 and 1999, each revealed VOC contamination, including PCE, TCE, and 1,1,1-TCA, at the 570 Main St. property.
• ITC used its facility to wash and repair its trucks and to refuel them with gasoline from at least 1971 to 1979. ITC used TCE as part of its truck maintenance activities. Groundwater sampling conducted in 2000, and soil sampling conducted in 2001, each revealed TCE contamination at the 299 Main St. property.

“Maintaining the safety of public water supply wells is essential to the health and well-being of our communities,” United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue said in a press release. “Today’s filing serves as a warning to those who pollute our environment but refuse to take financial responsibility for their actions. This Office will seek the recovery of costs, and civil monetary penalties where appropriate, from those who cause or contribute to environmental contamination.”

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